Discover Ridala: bog trails, Viking culture and historic sites

Ridala is a destination for anyone who wants to combine nature experiences with archaeology, regional history and special excursions. The name is also known by the local variants Rõdala, Ridali and Rüdala. In Ridala itself and in the surrounding area, you can expect a variety of experiences: a trail through Koigi Bog, historic religious and fortification structures, an archaeological site, and the Asva Viking Village with activities and regional cuisine.

Bog landscape and historic coastline

The Ridala archaeological site lies on a narrow moraine ridge running from north to south, about 4 km from the present-day coast. The fortified Bronze Age settlement of Ridala stood on the seashore at that time, by the present-day Kuke oja, about 5 km from Asva. It was in use for a short time in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. This information also makes the landscape interesting for visitors who want to learn about traces of earlier settlement during their stay, rather than visiting only current attractions.

A 4.8 km hiking trail runs through Koigi Bog in the vicinity of Ridala. The trail consists of a wood-chip path and a boardwalk around Pikkjärv. There is a 9 m-high viewing tower along the trail. This makes it easy to plan a specific outdoor activity: you can combine a set route through the bog landscape with a viewpoint without devoting the entire day exclusively to historic sights.

Cultural monuments in Ridala and the surrounding area

One of the notable cultural landmarks in Ridala is Särge pao Tohtrikivi/Nõiakivi. The site is an archaeological monument and also a historic sacred natural site. The Kabeli-talu smock mill is likewise listed among the architectural monuments of Ridala village. It is also recorded that the Kabeli-talu windmill had been restored and conserved in 2008. Anyone interested in smaller monuments, traditional architectural forms and the connection between nature and history will find several different points of interest here.

The Church of St Mary in Pöide was built in the 14th century in the vicinity of Ridala. It is the largest single-nave church in Western Estonia and the islands. The Maasi Order Castle is also located nearby and was built after the suppression of the St George's Night Uprising in 1345. Visitors can see the conserved ruins and walk between their walls. This gives families and other travel groups a choice between a bog trail, religious architecture and a historic site, without all excursions having the same character.

Asva: Viking experiences and regional cuisine

The Asva Viking Village is located in the vicinity of Ridala, on the edge of the old Asva hill fort. There, an adventure trail offers climbing at heights of up to around 12 m and a Viking chieftain's slide up to 100 m long. Families can decide based on their own interests whether an active excursion of this kind should be the focus of a day. The Odrakoda kitchen in the Asva Viking Village serves food and drinks based on old recipes and local flavours. This adds a culinary perspective to the historic impressions.

Which accommodation suits your travel plans

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday house in Ridala, it is worth first deciding what you want to include in your days. Those who prefer bog trails and landscapes can make the Koigi Bog trail and its viewing tower the centrepiece of their plans. Those with a stronger interest in history can include the Ridala archaeological site, the monuments in the village, as well as Pöide and Maasi. For a varied family day, combining the Asva Viking Village, adventure trail and regional cuisine offers another option. This way, you search for accommodation not based on a general idea, but according to the experiences you actually want to discover during your trip.

For further travel planning, you can also view Saareküla, Laimjala and Asva.

For the higher-level travel overview: Laimjala Parish.